2G Need Advice on Springs

[GzusEclipse98]

Recently bought a front and rear pair of Koni sport yellow shocks, taking advantage of the fact that they are on a 20% discount right now. I did this because I am sure that the shocks on my 2G are the original ones that came on the car from 98, and with that said I'm also reasonably sure that by this point they are blown or due to be replaced. As such I decided to go with the Koni's since I plan on keeping the car long term, and having seen the buying guide thread by Ludachris, I agreed on it'd being best to go with a high quality replacement set.

With that said I am also considering if I should replace the springs in the car as well? It should be said that this car is a daily driver car, driven by myself, my mother, and my sister, and more than anything I really want the driving quality to be comfortable, so I'm not looking to replace the springs with lowering springs per say, but with reasonably quality springs, if that makes sense, except that it seems like the only options for replacement springs are lowering springs. I'm not sure if replacing the springs is something people do when maintaining their car, I'm not the most knowledgeable car enthusiast, just a young one with their first car, but I assume with the age the car has it makes some sense to replace the springs as well. I could stay with my original springs as it costs me nothing, but given they're almost 30 years old at this point I don't know if that's sensible. I imagine that after the years they spend on the car they get worn out and kinda lower naturally or get weaker, not to mention that since I'm in New York they get dirty and maybe even rusty with the weather, which is why I think I should replace them.

Filtering out anything close to 2-inch drops and beyond that it seems the best two options for me as far as replacing the springs are the Eibach Pro-Kit and Tein H-Tech. I get the sense that with the Tein springs (H-Tech specifically) they offer a lesser drop compared to the Eibach springs (reportedly less than an inch from ExtremePSI and STMTuned although i suppose after they settle they drop a little more). The Eibach springs seem to give a drop over an inch but not so much that the ride would be uncomfortable. I do get the impression that Eibach would make a higher quality product than Tein, which makes the decision difficult, I'd like a comfortable ride quality, but I'd also like a quality spring. The price difference between the two seems negligible so that's not a concern.

I am a bit concerned that I may need an anti-camber or camber-correction kit if I do get the new springs, if so I'll buy them but for something like a 1 inch drop I don't know if that's necessary, although given the car is on a new set of tires, I'll absolutely get them if anyone knows they'll be needed. Coilovers are definitely out of the question since I already ordered the shocks. Basically what I'd like to know is who thinks what's the better buy, or should I just stay with my original springs.

Again, I drive in New York, the Bronx specifically, so road bumps, potholes, and generally not perfect road quality is common in my area, which is why I got the shocks to begin with. Any input, advice, or experience with any of these springs, or what I should do or focus on as far as maintenance or suspension, would be greatly appreciated. thank you for your time.

 

[GzusEclipse98]

Minor update, seems ExtremePSI no longer has a page for the Eibach Pro-Kit, I did however with some part number research find what may be compatible coil springs for the front and rear using RockAuto, MB911426 got me front coils by LESJÖFORS, specifically 4121601. As for the rear MB948111 got me rear coil springs also by LESJÖFORS, specifically 4414911. Never heard of the manufacturer so I'm going to do some more research but this seems more like a standard replacement option as opposed to the Tein H-Tech springs, being lowering springs. Still open to advice from anyone who wants to chime in, thank you for your time.

 

[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

The springs will make a difference even in oem when new. They will be tighter and more known vs the older springs where they would have gotten soft and lost some of it's (spring)

so getting oem type springs can be ok to keep it composed but if you are not opposed to aftermarket spring then it will support the shocks better without being OTT on the ride harshness scale.

How low you go is dependant on person but if you worry on poor roads then stay as close to stock height or maybe 1" drop is fine.

Also do add all new bumpstops, shock bellows and upper mounting bushes or even top hats for the mounting to the body! Believe it or not those wear out and all dry rot and crack so to do the job properly your best bet is to replace as much of the rubber mounting parts as possible as part of maintenance also for your chassis. KYB should have most parts for that

 

[GzusEclipse98]

The springs will make a difference even in oem when new. They will be tighter and more known vs the older springs where they would have gotten soft and lost some of it's (spring)

so getting oem type springs can be ok to keep it composed but if you are not opposed to aftermarket spring then it will support the shocks better without being OTT on the ride harshness scale.

How low you go is dependant on person but if you worry on poor roads then stay as close to stock height or maybe 1" drop is fine.

Also do add all new bumpstops, shock bellows and upper mounting bushes or even top hats for the mounting to the body! Believe it or not those wear out and all dry rot and crack so to do the job properly your best bet is to replace as much of the rubber mounting parts as possible as part of maintenance also for your chassis. KYB should have most parts for that

Thank you for the reply. Truth be told i had not considered the rubber materials that accompany the shock so you’re right. On RockAuto i’ve found i think all you mentioned minus the bumpstop, unless the rear upper shock bushing acts as a bumpstop, in which case the only one available was polyurathane, which i imagine will make for a harsher ride on street use. I have yet to check major retailers like Autozone, AAP, O’rielly’s, and Napa yet. Although i have checked thru Mitsubishi’s parts website with no luck.

Aside from the bumpstop, I’m reasonably confident in the Lesjöfors springs are equivalent to the OEM springs for my 2G, basing this off the fact the rear springs match up with the 90s Dodge Avenger, which shared the 420a, and a few other Chrysler vehicles, not only this but they match for the GS-T springs, so i suppose the two are compatible/interchangeable, part-number for the rear springs being MB948111. The fronts also match to the GS-T but not any of the Chrysler vehicles, the part-numbers for the front are MB911426, MB911427, MB949055, and MB949056. I don’t think i can go wrong with the front given the match. Hopefully i got everything i’ll need. Again thank you for your reply, anything else you feel i should know please share.

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[FIBA M - EC17PSE]

Thank you for the reply. Truth be told i had not considered the rubber materials that accompany the shock so you’re right. On RockAuto i’ve found i think all you mentioned minus the bumpstop, unless the rear upper shock bushing acts as a bumpstop, in which case the only one available was polyurathane, which i imagine will make for a harsher ride on street use. I have yet to check major retailers like Autozone, AAP, O’rielly’s, and Napa yet. Although i have checked thru Mitsubishi’s parts website with no luck.

Aside from the bumpstop, I’m reasonably confident in the Lesjöfors springs are equivalent to the OEM springs for my 2G, basing this off the fact the rear springs match up with the 90s Dodge Avenger, which shared the 420a, and a few other Chrysler vehicles, not only this but they match for the GS-T springs, so i suppose the two are compatible/interchangeable, part-number for the rear springs being MB948111. The fronts also match to the GS-T but not any of the Chrysler vehicles, the part-numbers for the front are MB911426, MB911427, MB949055, and MB949056. I don’t think i can go wrong with the front given the match. Hopefully i got everything i’ll need. Again thank you for your reply, anything else you feel i should know please share.

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The poly upper shock bushes will not be harsh at all. They are just going to last a lot longer vs oem rubber. you will notice this very little.

The bumpstops are their own parts and sometimes part of the bellow kit and sometimes not, Just depends on the brand selling them. But doing this and replacing it all means you can enjoy the car longer and not have to worry for so many years to come! Might aswel do it once and right straight off then come back to it later on, wasting time, delays and money to take stuff off again.

So I am glad to remind you on it and help along the way.

Do not forget the front upper mount also. They will be required as the rear for a replacement part as by now these old parts are soft and worn out and mostly cracking from the age of rubber

 

[GzusEclipse98]

The poly upper shock bushes will not be harsh at all. They are just going to last a lot longer vs oem rubber. you will notice this very little.

The bumpstops are their own parts and sometimes part of the bellow kit and sometimes not, Just depends on the brand selling them. But doing this and replacing it all means you can enjoy the car longer and not have to worry for so many years to come! Might aswel do it once and right straight off then come back to it later on, wasting time, delays and money to take stuff off again.

So I am glad to remind you on it and help along the way.

Do not forget the front upper mount also. They will be required as the rear for a replacement part as by now these old parts are soft and worn out and mostly cracking from the age of rubber

The poly upper shock bushes will not be harsh at all. They are just going to last a lot longer vs oem rubber. you will notice this very little.

The bumpstops are their own parts and sometimes part of the bellow kit and sometimes not, Just depends on the brand selling them. But doing this and replacing it all means you can enjoy the car longer and not have to worry for so many years to come! Might aswel do it once and right straight off then come back to it later on, wasting time, delays and money to take stuff off again.

So I am glad to remind you on it and help along the way.

Do not forget the front upper mount also. They will be required as the rear for a replacement part as by now these old parts are soft and worn out and mostly cracking from the age of rubber

I believe I found the correct front strut mount on CarId. It's a difficult part to find but I'm sure its the one since the rear seems different. Photo provided to be sure. Truth be told I am still somewhat considering the Tein H-Tech springs since I imagine with the new shocks the ride height will be quite tall, and although I like the idea of it, I also like a somewhat flush look, so I don’t think I’d mind a 1 inch drop, although I worry if I’d need a camber correction kit or anti-camber kit for something like that. And besides that I’ve been reading and watching some reviews for them, and so far it seems like they would be nice springs, as it turns out there’s really not a lot of talk about the Lesjöfor springs.

Aside from that I think it might be possible to request an order for H&R springs, although H&R’s US based website does not show results for the springs, their primary website (H-R) shows the springs with their part number. A 1.5 inch drop might cut it too close to for me but my mind is open, and I do regard H&R with similar quality to Eibach or Bilstein, in my mind its another big name suspension brand, a bit bigger than Tein anyways, nothing against them of course.

Also I wanted to be transparent and announce that I’m an idiot, because when I purchased the Koni shocks I believed I bought a front and rear pair/set, however I believe now that I actually ended up buying a single front and rear, the mistake is my own for not reading carefully and jumping on the sale, oh well, I’ll hopefully be able to buy the remaining front and rear before the sale ends, at least that way the amount I save vs buying them full price should be a bit better, plus shipping is free. I didn’t think a complete set would end up being so expensive. Now i understand why people opt to buy KYB or Tokikos. Hopefully these will be worth it when everything is said and done, but with that said most likely it will be probably 2 months before I really move on getting the suspension done. Before that I wanna get my brakes taken care of, I think its time for them first and they’re more safety related.

Sorry for the giant reply but i thought it would be important to share. Again thank you for your reply.

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[chrysler kid]

I do not recommend eibach with koni struts. I had that setup on a Honda and on a Camaro, and while it did ride very well the soft springs and the stiff struts were always fighting each other. The springs bottoming out and the struts being stiff and not immediately letting the spring decompress. So I was bottoming out a lot on rough roads

I do not recommend factory replacement springs, they will make the car look lifted. Even after they settle the ride height will be noticably larger than factory

I’m not sure the spring rates but you definitely want stiffer spring rate than eibach

 

[GzusEclipse98]

I do not recommend eibach with koni struts. I had that setup on a Honda and on a Camaro, and while it did ride very well the soft springs and the stiff struts were always fighting each other. The springs bottoming out and the struts being stiff and not immediately letting the spring decompress. So I was bottoming out a lot on rough roads

I do not recommend factory replacement springs, they will make the car look lifted. Even after they settle the ride height will be noticably larger than factory

I’m not sure the spring rates but you definitely want stiffer spring rate than eibach

Thank you for the reply, H&R sport springs seem to have a stiffer spring rate, although its a slightly deeper drop than the Eibach or Tein springs, also the Eibach springs seem to no longer be up on ExtremePSI from what i can see, only way to get that would be through Ground Control, which is a coilover conversion, not something im opposed to but from what i read its quite a rough ride. I’m playing around with the idea of Tein H-Tech or H&R currently (assuming H&R still actually sells them)

 

[GzusEclipse98]

Koni sport yellow shocks have all arrived, i think i got everything as far as they go, they don’t exactly provide a list of all the components, im gonna store these in the box they came and for probably a month while i get the parts i need for a brake job, after which i’ll move forward with getting the rest of the suspension components like the springs of choice, mounts, bushings/rubbers, etc

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[electrohead]

Tein H-tech springs are a nice subtle upgrade. I feel it brings the car to look closer to a modern oem look. If they're not in stock, you may have to wait for Tein to actually make them. When I did a manual transmission conversion, my front lifted up due to losing 120lbs, so I ordered S-tech springs to swap out the fronts to even out the way the car sat (that was more due to personal preference). It took a little over a month because an order had to be made to Japan for them. The joys of older cars.

 

[GzusEclipse98]

Tein H-tech springs are a nice subtle upgrade. I feel it brings the car to look closer to a modern oem look. If they're not in stock, you may have to wait for Tein to actually make them. When I did a manual transmission conversion, my front lifted up due to losing 120lbs, so I ordered S-tech springs to swap out the fronts to even out the way the car sat (that was more due to personal preference). It took a little over a month because an order had to be made to Japan for them. The joys of older cars.

Thank you for the reply, somehow i dont think i’ll be surprised if Tein has to make them, i was checking their website and they don’t list the H-Tech in stock, just the S-Tech, but sites that sell them like STM or Martini make it sound like they have them in stock, i would think in Martiniwork’s case that they just stock them in a warehouse ahead of time of any orders coming thru the way the Koni Yellows were shipped rather fast, no longer than a week’s wait. I do suspect i’ll need to replace my control arm in the front left and both rears, basing this on seeing on 2G owner on youtube (MiguelDSM) showcasing how the lower arms can fail if they ride with lowering springs. I recently replaced my passenger front upper and lower arms but i think my left is giving me slight pull of the steering wheel. When i got my tires changed that job came with an alignment, it wasn’t to the quality of the prior shop i went to for that since they had a dedicated machine for it and the guy who did my tire change i think didn’t (although he did a real good job i think and honestly the pull to the left is very minimal). I think Delphi makes a quality replacement, or at least i have no reason to believe their parts arent storied with trouble compared to Moog or Mevotech as far as standard replacment. I was considering the really high end parts from Fiba Motorsports or Volk Metal Craft but when looking into what chromoly material was i realized that might be a poor idea given im in the northeast and am not the kinda of person who cleans the undercarriage for rust every month, which is unfortunate because it sounds like their lower control arms would pair perfect with lowering springs. Plan of attack for now remains saving up for brakes after Mother’s Day, getting brakes taken care of, then getting all the necessary components for the strut/spring refresh mentioned earlier, then getting that done.

 

[chrysler kid]

I had the s-tech springs on a civic and really liked them, did not have issues bottoming out on them like I did with the eibach.

I have replaced both front lower control arms on the driver and passengers side with the cheap rock Auto brand and they were noticeably better than the oem parts. The rear front lower control arm bushings were much beefier than the factory Mitsubishi ones. I did the passenger side ones a few months ago and the car stopped having random pulls over uneven road surfaces and the install took maybe twenty minutes per arm

My 96 Gst was stock for ten years as a backup family car, in 2020 I modified it and the first thing to happen was the axle boots ripped. So just a heads up if you have never replaced the axles they will probably tear after lowering the car from the extra angle of being lowered

 

[GzusEclipse98]

I had the s-tech springs on a civic and really liked them, did not have issues bottoming out on them like I did with the eibach.

I have replaced both front lower control arms on the driver and passengers side with the cheap rock Auto brand and they were noticeably better than the oem parts. The rear front lower control arm bushings were much beefier than the factory Mitsubishi ones. I did the passenger side ones a few months ago and the car stopped having random pulls over uneven road surfaces and the install took maybe twenty minutes per arm

My 96 Gst was stock for ten years as a backup family car, in 2020 I modified it and the first thing to happen was the axle boots ripped. So just a heads up if you have never replaced the axles they will probably tear after lowering the car from the extra angle of being lowered

Good to know, will keep it in mind, although i have no idea if the 420A cv axles are the same spline count as the 4G63T axles, hoping they are otherwise there’s not many options i think

 

[electrohead]

Thank you for the reply, somehow i dont think i’ll be surprised if Tein has to make them, i was checking their website and they don’t list the H-Tech in stock, just the S-Tech, but sites that sell them like STM or Martini make it sound like they have them in stock, i would think in Martiniwork’s case that they just stock them in a warehouse ahead of time of any orders coming thru the way the Koni Yellows were shipped rather fast, no longer than a week’s wait. I do suspect i’ll need to replace my control arm in the front left and both rears, basing this on seeing on 2G owner on youtube (MiguelDSM) showcasing how the lower arms can fail if they ride with lowering springs. I recently replaced my passenger front upper and lower arms but i think my left is giving me slight pull of the steering wheel. When i got my tires changed that job came with an alignment, it wasn’t to the quality of the prior shop i went to for that since they had a dedicated machine for it and the guy who did my tire change i think didn’t (although he did a real good job i think and honestly the pull to the left is very minimal). I think Delphi makes a quality replacement, or at least i have no reason to believe their parts arent storied with trouble compared to Moog or Mevotech as far as standard replacment. I was considering the really high end parts from Fiba Motorsports or Volk Metal Craft but when looking into what chromoly material was i realized that might be a poor idea given im in the northeast and am not the kinda of person who cleans the undercarriage for rust every month, which is unfortunate because it sounds like their lower control arms would pair perfect with lowering springs. Plan of attack for now remains saving up for brakes after Mother’s Day, getting brakes taken care of, then getting all the necessary components for the strut/spring refresh mentioned earlier, then getting that done.

I believe the arms failing is more of manufacturing flaws. Back in '05 I had a '95 RS and I replaced my front lower arms with oem parts. Within 2 months one of them had the ball joint binding up. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with moisture getting in from the bottom because they didn't seal it properly. There was a recall because of this issue.
If you want close oem, I'd get the H-tech springs so you won't have issues with clearance. Plus, if you're auto, the extra weight up front will help the way the car sits. Plus, with the more mild drop, you'll need to use less washers in the rear to correct the camber.

This is how my car sat with H-Tech springs all around. I believe this was on stock shocks and struts, though. With Koni's it would be a tad higher. The automatic definitely affected the ride height in the front. Sorry about the pic quality. Not too many pics from 9 years ago.

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[GzusEclipse98]

I believe the arms failing is more of manufacturing flaws. Back in '05 I had a '95 RS and I replaced my front lower arms with oem parts. Within 2 months one of them had the ball joint binding up. If I remember correctly, it had something to do with moisture getting in from the bottom because they didn't seal it properly. There was a recall because of this issue.
If you want close oem, I'd get the H-tech springs so you won't have issues with clearance. Plus, if you're auto, the extra weight up front will help the way the car sits. Plus, with the more mild drop, you'll need to use less washers in the rear to correct the camber.

I did check my 2G’s vin with the NHTSA website to see if i had any recalls, but there were none, then again the 420a headgasket/headbolt issue was a design/manufacturers flaw that was never recalled so maybe as a good preventative measure i can replace my driver side upper and lower control arms before doing springs and struts, at least that way the fronts should be ready.

 

[GzusEclipse98]

This is how my car sat with H-Tech springs all around. I believe this was on stock shocks and struts, though. With Koni's it would be a tad higher. The automatic definitely affected the ride height in the front. Sorry about the pic quality. Not too many pics from 9 years ago.

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Beautiful car, beautiful chrome 16 inch Enkeis too, i have the same wheels but not in chrome, also looks like a perfect ride height with appropriate wheel gap, my car does have an automatic, didn’t know they weighed more than the manual.

 

[GzusEclipse98]

I’m having a very hard time finding replacement bump stops for the 2G, unless i’m stupid and the shock bushings are the bump stops. If not then i may have to rely on reusing the original bump stops on the car. I’m gonna see if i can find the part number for them.

 

[GzusEclipse98]

From what i can research i believe MB949043 is the part number for the bump stop, and it seems that KYB SB103 comes with a bump stop unless thats not what that yellow/pale thing is, if it is indeed a bump stop that they ship with the bellow then maybe i should consider the Monroe bellow, which seems to have a different, longer bump stop. I suspect the H-Tech springs will require me to cut the bump stops, in which it may prove difficult to do with a short one as i believe the KYB comes with, but from what reviews i’ve read on reddit for Monroe their parts quality is not what it used to be. The decision is difficult. Also it seems the Mitsubishi’s part website lists the bump stop as discontinued unfortunately.

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